Grand Prix des Nations

Grand Prix des Nations
Race details
Date September
Region France
English name Grand Prix of the Nations
Local name(s) Grand Prix des Nations (French)
Discipline Road
Type Individual time-trial
History
First edition 1932 (1932)
Editions 70
Final edition 2004
First winner France Maurice Archambaud
Most wins France Jacques Anquetil ( 9 wins)
Final winner Germany Michael Rich

The Grand Prix des Nations was an individual time trial (against the clock) for professional racing cyclists. Held annually in France, it was instituted in 1932 and often regarded as the unofficial time trial championship of the world and as a Classic cycle race. The race was the idea of a Parisian newspaper editor called Gaston Bénac. The beret-wearing sports editor was looking for a race to make a name for Paris-Soir, the biggest French evening paper before the war.

He and his colleague Albert Baker d'Isy had been inspired by the world road race championship in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1931. That, unusually, had been run as a time trial, and the two were impressed and also, they said, aware that a time-trial cost less to organise than a conventional road race. Baker d'Isy decided the name Grand Prix des Nations.

There is a dispute over who devised the first route. The American-French writer René de Latour said in the UK magazine Sporting Cyclist that he did; Baker d'Isy says that he did. The route started near the Versailles château and ran round a triangle through Rambouillet, Maulette, Saint-Rémy-les-Chevreuse, Versailles and Boulogne to finish on the Vélodrome Buffalo where the founder of the Tour de France, Henri Desgrange, had become the world's first hour record holder in 1893. There were three hills, one in the first 100 km, plenty of cobbles, and the last 40 km went through the woods of the Vallée de Chevreuse, a popular area for bike riders. The distance was 142 km.

The introduction of an official time trial champion at the UCI Road World Championships in 1994 and an Olympic individual time trial championship (1996) reduced its importance. With the introduction of the UCI ProTour in 2005, the event was removed from the calendar.

History

Race distances have varied. Until 1955, it was approximately 140 km; six years later, the distance was 100km; from 1965 onwards the distance rarely exceeded 90 km, with many events run of around 75 km. The events were in the Vallée de Chevreuse in the Paris area, then near Cannes on the French Riviera; for five years from 1993, it was held at the Madine Lake in the Meuse; from 1998, it has taken place in Seine-Maritime département, two circuits of 35 km around Dieppe.

The roll of honour includes cycling's greatest time trialists, but the event's history was dominated by two Frenchmen: Jacques Anquetil won nine times, Bernard Hinault five.

British amateur woman Beryl Burton competed in 1968, finishing only minutes behind her male rivals.

Winners

Rider Team
1932 France Archambaud, MauriceMaurice Archambaud (FRA)
1933 France Louviot, RaymondRaymond Louviot (FRA)
1934 France Magne, AntoninAntonin Magne (FRA)
1935 France Magne, AntoninAntonin Magne (FRA)
1936 France Magne, AntoninAntonin Magne (FRA)
1937 France Cogan, PierrePierre Cogan (FRA)
1938 France Aimar, LouisLouis Aimar (FRA)
1941 Italy Rossi, JulesJules Rossi (ITA) (victory shared with Aimar, LouisLouis Aimar)
1941 France Aimar, LouisLouis Aimar (FRA) (victory shared with Rossi, JulesJules Rossi)
1942 France Goasmat, Jean MarieJean Marie Goasmat (FRA) (victory shared with Idee, EmileEmile Idee)
1942 France Idee, EmileEmile Idee (FRA) (victory shared with Goasmat, Jean MarieJean Marie Goasmat)
1943 Belgium Somers, JozefJozef Somers (BEL)
1944 France Carrara, EmileEmile Carrara (FRA)
1945 France Tassin, EloiEloi Tassin (FRA)
1946 Italy Coppi, FaustoFausto Coppi (ITA)
1947 Italy Coppi, FaustoFausto Coppi (ITA)
1948 France Berton, ReneRené Berton (FRA)
1949 France Coste, CharlesCharles Coste (FRA)
1950 Belgium Blomme, MauriceMaurice Blomme (BEL)
1951 Switzerland Koblet, HugoHugo Koblet (SUI)
1952 France Bobet, LouisonLouison Bobet (FRA) Stella Huret Dunlop
1953 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) La Francaise Dunlop
1954 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) La Perle Hutchinson
1955 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) La Perle Hutchinson
1956 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) Helyett Potin
1957 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) Helyett Potin
1958 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) Helyett Potin
1959 Italy Moser, AldoAldo Moser (ITA) EMI Guerra
1960 Italy Baldini, ErcoleErcole Baldini (ITA) Ignis
1961 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) Helyett Fynsec
1962 Belgium Bracke, FerdinandFerdinand Bracke (BEL) Peugeot
1963 France Poulidor, RaymondRaymond Poulidor (FRA) Mercier BP
1964 Belgium Boucquet, WalterWalter Boucquet (BEL)
1965 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) Ford-Gitane
1966 France Anquetil, JacquesJacques Anquetil (FRA) Ford-Hutchinson
1967 Italy Gimondi, FeliceFelice Gimondi (ITA) Salvarani
1968 Italy Gimondi, FeliceFelice Gimondi (ITA) Salvarani
1969 Belgium Springel, Herman vanHerman van Springel (BEL) Grundig
1970 Belgium Springel, Herman vanHerman van Springel (BEL) Grundig
1971 Spain Ocana, LuisLuis Ocaña (ESP) Bic
1972 Belgium Swerts, RogerRoger Swerts (BEL) Molteni
1973 Belgium Merckx, EddyEddy Merckx (BEL) Molteni
1974 Netherlands Schuiten, RoyRoy Schuiten (NED) TI-Raleigh
1975 Netherlands Schuiten, RoyRoy Schuiten (NED) TI Raleigh
1976 Belgium Maertens, FreddyFreddy Maertens (BEL) Flandria Velda
1977 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) Gitane-Campagnolo
1978 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) Renault-Elf-Gitane
1979 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) Renault-Elf-Gitane
1980 Belgium Vandenbroucke, Jean LucJean Luc Vandenbroucke (BEL) La Redoute Motobecane
1981 Switzerland Gisiger, DanielDaniel Gisiger (SUI) Gilo-Aufina
1982 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) Renault-Elf
1983 Switzerland Gisiger, DanielDaniel Gisiger (SUI) Malvor Bottecchia
1984 France Hinault, BernardBernard Hinault (FRA) La Vie Claire
1985 France Mottet, CharlyCharly Mottet (FRA) Renault-Elf-Gitane
1986 Republic of Ireland Kelly, SeanSean Kelly (IRL) Kas-Mavic
1987 France Mottet, CharlyCharly Mottet (FRA) Systeme U-Gitane
1988 France Mottet, CharlyCharly Mottet (FRA) Systeme U-Gitane
1989 France Fignon, LaurentLaurent Fignon (FRA) Super U-Raleigh-Fiat
1990 Switzerland Wegmuller, ThomasThomas Wegmuller (SUI) Weinn SMM
1991 Switzerland Rominger, TonyTony Rominger (SUI) Toshiba
1992 Belgium Bruyneel, JohanJohan Bruyneel (BEL) ONCE
1993 France Las Cuevas, Armand deArmand de Las Cuevas (FRA) Banesto-Pinarello
1994 Switzerland Rominger, TonyTony Rominger (SUI) Mapei–CLAS
1995 No race
1996 United Kingdom Boardman, ChrisChris Boardman (GBR) GAN
1997 Germany Peschel, UweUwe Peschel (GER) Cantina Tollo–Carrier
1998 France Teyssier, FrancisqueFrancisque Teyssier (FRA) Mutuelle de Seine et Marine
1999 Ukraine Honchar, SerhiySerhiy Honchar (UKR) Vini Caldirola
2000 Result Void[1][2]
2001 Germany Voigt, JensJens Voigt (GER) Crédit Agricole
2002 Germany Peschel, UweUwe Peschel (GER) Gerolsteiner
2003 Germany Rich, MichaelMichael Rich (GER) Gerolsteiner
2004 Germany Rich, MichaelMichael Rich (GER) Gerolsteiner

References

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